Madugu Backs Nnadozie Despite Cameroon Error, Leaves Door Open for South Africa Clash

By Dorcas Francis Koji

Super Falcons head coach Justine Madugu has defended goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie following her costly mistake in Nigeria’s 1-0 quarter-final defeat to Cameroon, but admits the technical crew could consider other options for Thursday’s crucial 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup play-off against South Africa.

Nnadozie has faced criticism throughout Nigeria’s disappointing WAFCON campaign, with questions raised over her positioning during several goals conceded by the Falcons.

The goalkeeper came under scrutiny after Nigeria’s 3-2 defeat to Malawi in their opening group match, when her positioning appeared to play a role in all three goals. She responded with a clean sheet in the Falcons’ 1-0 victory over Zambia before conceding twice in their emphatic 6-2 win against Egypt.

Criticism resurfaced in Sunday’s quarter-final against Cameroon when Nnadozie was unable to cover the far side of her goal as Myriam Maéva Nyadjou’s superb free-kick found the net, sending the Indomitable Lionesses into the semi-finals.

Despite the error, Madugu was quick to defend the experienced goalkeeper, insisting that one difficult moment should not erase her achievements at both international and club level.

“Chiamaka has been a wonderful goalkeeper, not just for the national team, but also for her club. Anyone can make mistakes at any time,” Madugu said after the defeat.

“These mistakes can be costly, as it has been for us today, but that’s not to say she’s a bad goalkeeper.”

However, the coach acknowledged that the technical crew must conduct a thorough assessment before making a decision on who will start against South Africa.

Among the alternatives available to Nigeria are Fatima Oloko, recognised as one of the best goalkeepers in the Nigeria Women’s Football League, and Portsmouth goalkeeper Comfort Erhabor, who impressed during the scouting process.

Madugu stressed that no player is guaranteed a starting position as the Falcons prepare for a match that could determine their remaining path to the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

“It’s natural that when things like this happen, we have to do an overall assessment of the team — what went wrong, what we did well, where did we get it wrong,” he said.

“We have to do an overall assessment and see what we can do in the shortest possible time before the next game against South Africa.

“There’s nothing bad about exploring other players.”

Nigeria’s defeat to Cameroon marked a historic low for the Falcons at the WAFCON, as they failed to reach the semi-finals for the first time in the competition’s history.

The result also denied the 10-time African champions one of Africa’s four automatic qualification spots for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.

Nigeria must now defeat South Africa in Casablanca on Thursday to keep their World Cup hopes alive and secure a place in FIFA’s inter-confederation play-offs, scheduled for November and December.

With qualification now hanging in the balance, Madugu faces a crucial selection decision — including whether to retain Nnadozie or hand the responsibility to one of Nigeria’s alternative goalkeeping options.